@wolfgangcramer@petersuber@academicchatter Probably we are talking about extremes. There is obvious risk in research: it happens that despite valiant efforts one ends up with few items that are worthy of publishing. I agree that the promise of positive results should never be a criterion for PhD (heck, they are not a criterion for funding!). However, I've also seen many self-congratulatory (functionally incomplete) degrees being thrown around. A golden middle, maybe?